Unequal Power—Changing Landscapes: Negotiations between Evaluation Stakeholders in Latino Communities

Abstract

The analyses presented in this article are based on the authors’ experiences over the past 5 years evaluating community initiatives located in several low-income, California Latino communities. The dynamic interactions between major stakeholder groups including funders, community-based organization staff, community members, and evaluators are examined through a context-sensitive lens. A case study of El Centro Familiar provides a vehicle for presenting our roles as an interpreters, translators, mediators, and storytellers. The challenges of blending a critical theory social science approach with community-focused evaluation practice form the basis of the discussion.